general engine question

[SGGDuster]

I get the feeling that my 318 isn't quite running how it should. It's a bit leaky and I really want to rebuild it over the summer, but that's not why I posted this... It seems like my carb is not quite jetted properly of the timing is a little off. If I get on it pretty hard and open up the secondaries, it dips the nose a little bit and gets real rumbly until it hits somewhere in the region of 4k RPMs (but that's an untrained ear guess). It'll pickup after that and pull pretty hard until I need to shift and the process repeats. it got way better when I switched from manifolds to headers, which seems to indicate that it's a carb deal. I have a 600 CFM Eddy carb on top of an RPM air-gap, the only other mod is headers and dual 2.5 exhaust.

I know this is a really vague question, not to mention one that is hard to diagnose without being able to get behind the wheel, but I don't know any car guys that could tell me what's going on. Thanks for any input you may have.

 

[Mrmopartech]

Work on the distributor and its advancement.Check the timing chain for any loose in the chain.Put it at TDC,remove the cap and rock the dampener back and forth to see the amount of degrees the dampener is moving before the rotor turns.If you have more than 4 degrees,replace the chain and gears.As for the distributor advance,check your intial and check the mechanical advance,and check the vacumn advance to besure the vacumn diagfram holds vacumn,if not replace it.Then you can check the total timing at 2500rpm,you want no more than 36 degrees total.After this is done,you can set the carb to spec,mrmopartech

 

[SGGDuster]

Those are tall orders for me, I don't know anything at all about timing an engine. I'll read up on everything I can find and give it a whirl. Thanks MrMoparTech

 

[Dago Red]

Since you're gonna pull it apart over the summer, I'd just fool with jet sizes, pump shot and carb cams, rather than rip the front of the motor off. Don't go to one of these so called "carb experts". Buy the Holley book and do it yourself. A carb is nothing more that a minature toilet: You push the handle (throttle) and fluid moves through it. Let us know how it works out. RICK

 

[GotDart]

A carb is nothing more that a minature toilet: You push the handle (throttle) and fluid moves through it.

Now that's one I haven't heard before. :grin:

 

[OldVart]

Good analogy on the carb Dago. I like it.

 

[onehellofadart]

Good analogy on the carb Dago. I like it.

Me too!!!